Jujutsu Elementary, an affiliate of Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School—or "Jujutsu Sho" for short. This school provides a standard elementary education while also incorporating rigorous jujutsu training as an after-school activity. Currently, six students attend: Maki Zen'in, Mai Zen'in, Tsumiki Fushiguro, Kokichi Muta, Panda, and Toge Inumaki.
And right now, those children were hard at work with their after-school jujutsu training.
"Sure-kill Panda Punch!"
"..."
"Toge-pi, that's just a straight-up insult!"
"But come on, Panda. Your punch just went 'poof.' Do it for real! The target isn't even moving."
"I'm still bad at cursed energy reinforcement! Besides, Maki, why don't you show us how it's done then?"
"I don't have cursed energy to begin with. But if we're just talking about a punch—Hrah!"
"Eel! Tuna mayo!"
"That sound was terrifying, Maki!? How do you even hit something to make it sound like that!? It sounded like a cannon went off!"
"It really was a solid punch from the hip, Big Sis Maki's. It's hard to believe she's the same species as us."
"My sister's been gradually quitting humanity lately."
"Kokichi, setting you aside, Mai, aren't you just insulting her? ...Anyway, strictly as martial arts, Tsumiki's form is much cleaner."
"You think? Mine doesn't make an amazing sound like Maki's. See?"
"No, Tsumiki, even Panda can't replicate that 'thwack' you just made."
"Pickled greens."
"Tsumiki's punches really hurt deep in your bones if you don't guard with cursed energy. Even if you do guard, they still sting quite a bit."
"She's the only one who's a complete non-sorcerer, so in a sense, Fushiguro might be the strongest..."
The children were chatting amiably while using the back of a figure sitting in a triangular crouch on the field as a punching bag.
Nearby, Megumi—who had been treated to a Weekly Shonen Jump, snacks, and juice by the elementary school teacher, Utahime Iori—was enjoying an elegant snack time using his two fluffy Divine Dogs as pillows.
By the way, Mahoraga wasn't just sitting there. He held a PSP that looked ridiculously small in his massive hands. At Megumi's request, he was currently farming Albino Extracts and Honey in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Megumi using Mahoraga as a convenient errand boy was nothing new, so no one bothered to comment on it anymore.
At most, Gojo, watching from a distance, thought, 'He's starting to look like a dad on his day off.' Of course, the real father, Toji Fushiguro, was usually busy with horse or boat racing on his days off, so that position often ended up being filled by Naoya, but that's a story for another time.
The children were swarming and pummeling Mahoraga, but this was technically part of their jujutsu training.
In fact, Professor Utahime was supervising properly, and even Principal Yaga had stopped by to check on Panda, perhaps because his students were out on missions and he had some free time.
Amidst this, a voice suddenly spoke up.
[PROCUREMENT OF 100 ALBINO EXTRACTS IS COMPLETE.]
"Oh. Good work. Make fifty Mega Demondrugs and fifty Mega Armorskins with them."
That was the thing.
Just the other day, when Megumi asked his father for an allowance, Toji told him to 'earn it yourself' and made him play mahjong against some intimidating old men. Megumi requested support from Mahoraga, whom non-sorcerers couldn't perceive, and won big. He successfully scored several stacks of bills, but during that ordeal, Mahoraga finally adapted to vocalization.
Well, since he had already been playing Yu-Gi-Oh! with Megumi, it was only a matter of time. Needless to say, the existence of a shikigami capable of verbal communication had quite an impact on the sorcerers.
However, once the shock wore off, people stopped being surprised when Mahoraga spoke—a testament to the adaptability of sorcerers who fight nonsensical cursed spirits day and night.
While "Chatty-makoora" was acting as a punching bag and farming Monster Hunter, Mai—who had just landed a Black Flash on Mahoraga's back with a full swing of her Magical Mai-chan Mace—was reflecting on the core of her cursed energy amidst the post-Black Flash sense of omnipotence when she voiced a concern.
"By the way, Professor Utahime, hasn't Naoya come back yet?"
"Hmm, it seems like they're having a hard time. Unlike Gojo, those kids actually send regular check-ins, but it's always 'No sign of cursed spirits or sorcerers today either.' Well, the mission itself is to 'find something that isn't there,' so it can't be helped. Especially since the opponent this time is likely a sorcerer. Naturally, unless they're in combat, a sorcerer's cursed energy is harder to detect than a normal person's. It's difficult to find them by relying on energy alone."
"I see... I suppose waiting quietly for one's husband to return is also a wife's duty."
"Mai, you occasionally show values from the Meiji era. Maki is such a modern girl, though."
"Oh, I'm a modern girl too."
"Are you?"
"When Naoya gets back, I make sure to ask, 'Would you like a bath? Dinner? Or... me?'"
"Mai, I'm sorry to break it to you, but that line is incredibly Showa era..."
As the precocious Mai said, it had already been a month since the third-years left the Tokyo school for their mission. Naoya and the others hadn't even managed to catch a glimpse of the 'Master of Sendai' who seemed to be hiding in earnest. However, by staking out Sendai house by house and conducting a steady investigation to find the sorcerer exterminating cursed spirits, they planned to flush out the 'Estimated Special Grade' sorcerer sooner or later.
In the process, they had reportedly run into accidents like discovering affairs or stopping murders before they happened due to lovers' quarrels, which was quite pitiable...
Well, there was no other way but to pound the pavement, so it was just collateral damage.
On the other hand, Gojo and Geto were filling the gaps left by the three who were out investigating, but unlike Naoya's group, the 'strongest duo' actually seemed quite bored.
After all, Geto could consume anything Grade 2 or below without question, Special Grades rarely appeared, and Grade 1s were no match for a Special Grade sorcerer. Combined with Gojo's teleportation, they could efficiently dispose of cursed spirits as if it were a routine chore; for them, the waiting time was actually longer.
And as for what the strongest duo did during that free time...
"Hey, let me join the beatdown. I made a new technique."
"Satoru, no matter how much of a pushover Utahime-senpai is, it's not good to interfere with class."
"Are you both here just to pick a fight?"
"Haha, look at you getting scolded. Utahime-senpai, you can let this idiot borrow him after class, okay?"
"No, Shoko. Tell Megumi-kun, not me."
As that exchange suggested, they were, surprisingly, working hard on refining their techniques.
"...Are these guys really the type of characters to actually train?"
"Haha, it doesn't suit them at all, does it? These two both lost miserably to Naoya after he got stronger through training, so now they're desperate. Idiots, right?"
"I mean, I just hate the idea of losing to a junior. Even if he's a psycho who throws consecutive Mach Punches, a junior is still a junior. They should be eating my dust as their senior, right?"
"That's quite a line coming from someone who treats me, his senior by three years, with zero respect... Wait, seriously? Gojo lost?"
"Apparently Naoya started glowing blue and beat him up. It put so much strain on the infinity barrier that he lost because he ran out of cursed energy."
"Usually, I run the auto-guard and Reverse Cursed Technique off my natural recovery. But that guy's attacks go beyond just being heavy; they put me in the red... and well, Suguru just has a bad matchup with Naoya, so as soon as it becomes a domain battle, he's stuck."
"Usually, Satoru is weak against me, I'm weak against Naoya, and Naoya is weak against Satoru. That was supposed to be the balance, but it's been disrupted."
"Heh. You guys were like a game of rock-paper-scissors. ...Then Geto, doesn't that mean you don't need to train?"
"Well, if Satoru gets stronger, it's obvious I'll be the only one losing."
"I see. Man, being a guy sounds tough."
With a sigh, Professor Utahime shrugged as if to say 'good grief' and called her students over, making room for Gojo.
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